


do this again sometime

by phantomlistener



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Developing Friendships, Female Friendship, Gen, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29262495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomlistener/pseuds/phantomlistener
Summary: Sam and Vala take a trip off-base to go shopping. It...doesn't quite go to plan.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter & Vala Mal Doran
Comments: 4
Kudos: 9
Collections: Chocolate Box - Round 6





	do this again sometime

**Author's Note:**

  * For [craterdweller](https://archiveofourown.org/users/craterdweller/gifts).



“I have to say, Vala, this is _not_ how I pictured our shopping trip ending up." 

Vala turns full circle. The previously-bustling mall is empty, bags dropped where people had fled at the first sign of trouble, and six black-clad intruders are unconscious around them. “Me neither,” she says, poking one of the bad guys with the point of her shoe. He doesn’t stir. “Sam, do you think General Landry will be… _cross_?”

“No?” Sam shoots her companion a curious look. “Why would he be cross?”

“Well….” She gestures to encompass, well, everything around them. “We did _kind_ of cause a mess.”

“They tried to abduct us, Vala. I think General Landry would be more cross if we’d actually got ourselves kidnapped.”

“Oh.” She considers that for a moment, worrying at her bottom lip with those perfect teeth. “Because I don’t want him to think that I’m— I mean, I deserve _some_ semblance of a life here, don’t I? Not to be cooped up on that miserable base all the time?” Her voice changes, segues into the singsong mimicking tone she normally only uses when her fights with Daniel cross into toddler-meltdown territory. “ _Oh, we can’t let Vala out, she can’t be_ trusted _. Can’t have her running around off-base, even if she_ has _saved the planet a bunch of times._ ”

Sam stares at her in consternation. “You seriously think that’s how they feel?”

“Well yeah! Don’t you?”

“No!” She pauses, calms her reaction into something less indignant, less likely to provoke a defensive response. “No, Vala, I don’t. You’re a valuable member of the team! Landry’s not about to confine you to quarters because a bunch of asshole bounty hunters caught up with us while we were out shopping.”

“We _were_ only shopping,” Vala agrees. “It’s not as if we went _looking_ for trouble. They wouldn’t use that against me – would they?”

There’s an uncharacteristic vulnerability in her voice, one Sam’s rarely heard outside of near-death experiences. “You’re really worried about getting confined to base, aren’t you?”

Vala shrugs, a lost expression settling briefly on her face before she shakes it off like a dog fresh from the river. “I’ve been trapped too many times,” she offers softly. “And I’m not going to let it happen again if I can help it.”

Sam smiles at her. “I won’t let it either,” she says, means it as a promise.

Vala smiles back.

“Right.” Sam turns away from the sorry remnants of the would-be assassins towards the closest exit. There are black SUVs rolling up already, a couple of soldiers in camouflage green scoping out the situation through the revolving doors. “It looks like backup is already here. Shall we?”

“Let’s get out of here!” Vala’s pigtails bounce as she walks, neatly tied despite the trail of destruction in their wake, and her exuberance seems to be back in full force. “We should do this again,” she says, linking her arm through Sam’s. Somehow she’s still carrying her shopping – five bags, all various shades of pink, hooked casually around her other forearm. 

“Which part?” asks Sam, and there’s an amused twist to her lips.

“The shopping, of course,” Vala says. She hugs Sam closer to her, just for a second. “It’s so nice to have a _friend,_ you know? One who isn’t an assassin in disguise or married to your lover or trying to poison you with toxic shampoo.” She cocks her head to one side, thoughtful. “The shampoo one was particularly nasty, actually. Anyway. I’m so glad we’re friends, Samantha.”

Sam looks back through the mall. There’s a trail of unconscious men all the way back to the escalators, and one guy in particular catches her eye, draped dramatically over the miniature children’s carousel and twitching slightly as it goes round and round to some godawful mechanical tune. She bumps her hip against Vala’s, not bothering to hide her smile. “Me too, Vala. Me too.”


End file.
